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Surgery technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a surgery technician. Surgery technicians usually study medical assisting services, medical technician, or nursing. 34% of surgery technicians hold a associate degree, and 33% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 814 real surgery technician resumes to see exactly what surgery technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for surgery technicians are the University of Kentucky and the University of Kentucky.
There are also many online surgery technician courses to help get the education required to be a surgery technician.
There are certain surgery technician certifications that you should consider. These surgery technician certifications include Medical Assistant and Surgery.
What education do you need to become a surgery technician?
What degree do you need to be a surgery technician?
- Associate, 34%
- Bachelor's, 33%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 12%
What should I major in to become a surgery technician?
- Medical Technician, 12%
- Nursing, 10%
- Biology, 10%
- Other Majors, 42%
Most common colleges for surgery technicians
| Surgery technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Kentucky | 8.89% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.67% |
| Pima Medical Institute | 6.67% |
| Delaware Technical Community College | 6.67% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 4.44% |
Best majors for surgery technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Assisting Services | 26.4% |
| 2 | Medical Technician | 12.1% |
| 3 | Nursing | 10.4% |
| 4 | Biology | 10.1% |
| 5 | Business | 6.8% |
Best colleges for surgery technicians
The best colleges for surgery technicians are Emory University, New York University, and Northwestern University.
A surgery technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for surgery technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become surgery technicians.
1. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
2. Kettering College
Kettering, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$12,960
Enrollment
610
3. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce
Mercedita, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,914
Enrollment
4,155
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
6. Clarkson College
Omaha, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$13,392
Enrollment
646
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo
Arecibo, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,872
Enrollment
3,553
8. Jefferson College of Health Sciences
Roanoke, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$26,886
Enrollment
774
9. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
10. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
20 best online courses for surgery technicians
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14. Prehospital care of acute stroke and patient selection for endovascular treatment using the RACE scale
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Top 10 most affordable universities for surgery technicians
The most affordable schools for surgery technicians are Brigham Young University, university of florida, and louisiana state university at alexandria.
If the best universities for surgery technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for surgery technicians.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$9,233
Cost of attendance
18,110
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for surgery technicians
The hardest universities for surgery technicians to get into are Emory University, New York University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for surgery technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for surgery technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
6. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
8. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,318
9. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for surgery technicians
The easiest schools for surgery technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a surgery technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for surgery technicians.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
7. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
Average surgery technician salary by education level
| Surgery technician education level | Surgery technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,631 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $42,819 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,364 |
Surgery technician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025